A face to melt your heart

Goats are well known for their intelligence and inquisitive nature. They are playful and full of character. As companion animals, goats can express unconditional love, just like a dog.

Live goat exports exposed

Few Australians would realise that right now, in rural areas across the country, wild goats are being rounded up, packed in crates, and exported for slaughter. Even fewer have ever seen inside this trade.

n May 2013, Animals Australia conducted our first ever investigation in Malaysia — Australia's largest live export market for goats. Once again, we discovered that the new live export 'rules' are being blatantly disregarded. And as a result, animals have been left totally exposed to cruel treatment.

Across 6 facilities in Malaysia, goats were filmed being roughly handled; stuffed into bags and car boots; and sold into unapproved facilities — often with their ear tags removed to conceal this clear breach of export regulations.

Like so many animals in the live trade, in their final moments of life, these goats had their throats cut whilst still conscious. You won't witness such graphic vision in this video, but you will feel their pain, sense their fear and hear their cries.

When we exposed this cruelty, former Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, claimed that "99%" of exported animals are treated "humanely". This could not be further from the truth. With political parties who unwaveringly defend this trade, with regulations fundamentally failing to protect animals everywhere we look, it would appear that live exporters are getting away with 99% of the cruelty in this trade.

But with your help, we can ensure they can't get away with it anymore. Every investigation, every email and phone call to a politician — every action you take — brings us a step closer to ending this trade in cruelty.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) released its compliance investigation report in February 2014 and found that there was evidence of non-compliance with minimum ESCAS welfare standards, and that Australian sheep and goats were in unapproved feedlots (indicating leakage from ESCAS-approved facilities).

However, due to the flock-based identification system, DA could not rule out that the sheep and goats may have been exported from Australia prior to the introduction of the ESCAS system. The 'regulatory action' taken was to require further monitoring and audit reports of the exporter involved, and the exporter undertook to remove the two farms/feedlots where the animal mis-handling issues had been identified.

A further DA investigation report arising from an Animals Australia complaint regarding the mis-handling and slaughter of Australian cattle in Malaysia in May 2013 has also been released. The DA investigation found evidence of non-compliance with animal welfare requirements of ESCAS – including the treatment of 'downer' cattle, and failure to check for consciousness before slaughter in an ESCAS approved abattoir. Identification issues, however, meant the Australian cattle could not be linked to a particular exporter. The exporters using the facility subsequently supplied extra training to abattoir workers, and DA imposed conditions on the exporters requiring a designated ‘animal welfare officer’ be present during all slaughter at the abattoir, and extra audits be conducted on future cattle consignments.

Please send an urgent message to our political leaders, calling on them to spare animals from such cruelty, by supporting a ban on live export.

Take Action

1 Find my MP

It takes only a minute to send a powerful message to help animals. Start by entering your state and suburb:

State:

Suburb:

Sorry, this form is for Australian residents only.Please click here to use our international action page.

Great news!

already supports an end to live export!
Please send a thank-you e-mail at .

Then, click here to send a message to your Federal Senators, urging them to support an end to live export, too.

2 Message your MP instantly

Please first complete step 1 to find your MP.

2 Go public!

Your MP is using social media! If you are too, click a button below to challenge publicly to watch this video and ask to stop supporting live export cruelty.

Sample message #1Exported goats being brutalised in Malaysia. This has got to stop. , what more will it take for you to support a ban? http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw
Sample message #2I want to vote for a party that will stand up to injustice and right wrongs. , will you stand up to this injustice? http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw
Sample message #3, have you seen this footage of exported goats in Malaysia? What do you think? You'll have my vote if you support a ban on live export. http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw
Sample message #4How many more second chances should live exporters get? I'm sick of seeing this cruelty occur over and over again. , please watch this, and tell me how you can justify continuing to support this industry. http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw

's twitter name is Click on a tweet below to send a message, or click here to craft your own.

More live export cruelty - in Malaysia. please watch this and take a stand. http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #BanLiveExport #auspol
have you seen what's happening to our animals in Malaysia? What do you think? http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #auspol #BanLiveExport
Live export to Malaysia exposed http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw as my rep, pls oppose this cruelty & support #BanLiveExport #auspol
The time is now to stand up and #BanLiveExport , will you help end this injustice? http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #auspol
Show us why we should vote for you ! Say NO to live animal export: http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #BanLiveExport #auspol
please voice your opposition to the trade that did this: http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #NotInMyName #BanLiveExport #auspol
If vows to end live export, then I will support . NO animal should have to endure this: http://youtu.be/so9uqUz14jw #auspol

2 Message your MP instantly

Complete this form and we'll send an instant message to MP, and your political representatives on your behalf. Or, if you'd rather take this opportunity to leave a phone message, why not call office right now on .

Great news!

already supports an end to live export!
Please send a thank-you e-mail at .

Then, click here to send a message to your Federal Senators, urging them to support an end to live export, too.

Great news -- your MP belongs to a party that already supports this cause! Please send them a thank-you e-mail at .